Heather's Thoughts

Art is defined by its meaning. The meaning of art is what truly makes it art. I value art with a deeper meaning than what appears on its surface, art with drama and a serious tone. It isn’t always about the outside, visual appearance. Art is about digging deeper. Art is about participating. Art is about the details. Art is about drama. Art is about the essence. Art is about the spirit. Art is about value. Art is genuine. Art is thoughtful.
Art is about meaning.

Art is defined by its meaning. The meaning of art is what truly makes it art. I value art with a deeper meaning than what appears on its surface, art with drama and a serious tone. It isn’t always about the outside, visual appearance. Art is about digging deeper. Art is about participating. Art is about the details. Art is about drama. Art is about the essence. Art is about the spirit. Art is about value. Art is genuine. Art is thoughtful.
Art is about meaning.

I appreciate art that holds meaning. I value art that requires true participation in discovering its message. I live to analyze small details and dive into works of art. I have shown this preference throughout my blog.

My very first blog post, “Representative Work,” is the first example of how I enjoy digging deeper into art’s meaning. In the post, I analyzed the painting, “The Music Lesson,” by Johannes Vermeer. It depicts a man and a woman sitting at an instrument. At first glance, it seems to be just that, but I analyzed every detail. I truly participated in the work. I discovered how the elements of the painting reveal the emphasis of the privacy between a shared, intimate moment of two people.

My second blog post, “Abstract Images,” is another example of how I value the meaning behind works of art. I again analyzed a painting, “Tink Tonk,” by Nabil Nahas. The painting appears to be random lines, zig-zagging in different colors and directions. However, after participating with this piece, I found how it’s representing electricity, excitement, like a jolt of energy. It isn’t just random lines. This piece was made with intention and meaning.

My fifth blog post, “My Musical Theme,” shows the deeper meaning I found behind another form of art. In this post, I didn’t analyze a painting. I participated in the experience of music. I gathered a collection of six songs that all spread the message of peace and equality on Earth. I found the true message behind these different songs that would otherwise just sound like beats and tones paired with lyrics. After learning the true meaning behind each song, they become more powerful and hold a more significant value.

My sixth blog post, “Poetic License,” reveals the meaning I discovered in a poem by Nathaniel Hawthrone titled, “The Ocean.” The poem reveals a lot in its stanzas. However, by really participating with the piece, I was about to uncover more. I discovered what the poem was saying in a different, more modern language. I took apart the figurative language. I broke down each line. I dove into the poem and discovered its true meaning.

My eleventh blog post, “Not Seen on TV,” is another example of the value I enjoy in digging deep into works of art to uncover their meaning. In this post, I analyzed video art. Ascension is a shot of a man plunging into water. The clip is in slow motion and underwater with specific lighting highlighting the man’s figure. The audio features dramatic sounds of the muffled water movement in slow motion. Every detail of the clip highlights how focused, serious, and unique it is. It reveals what the clip wants for the audience. I evaluated each element of the video and discovered the emphasis on the focus of small details. I found the meaning of such a detailed clip of a simple event that I wouldn’t have been able to notice by merely watching it.

Even after analyzing each of my own blog posts, I found a common theme and meaning that connects almost every one. My blog displays my interest in evaluating the details and elements of works of art to find their hidden message and true meaning. I believe that the experience of participating with art to find its purpose is what makes pieces art. Without the deeper meaning, works of art would be just paintings, just photos, just sculptures, just music. With meaning, they become powerful pieces of pure art.

Sunrise Impression poem– Heather Towe

I see the orange colored sun
Rising in the sky.

I see its beams of light
Shining down from so high.

I see light reflections
Glimmering upon the water.

I see blurred boats, distant,
Approaching closer and closer.

I see subtle waves
Formed from the boats in motion.

I see soft shapes of the shore
Across the vast ocean.

I see colors of pastel hues
Created by the sunrise.

I see many beautiful things,
A pleasant sight to my eyes.

I chose to write a poem about Claude Monet’s Sunrise. I wrote the poem in the point of view from one of the people on the boats in the painting. I wrote my poem from their perspective about everything they would see from standing in their position on the water. I thought it would be interesting to actually put myself into the painting and try to imagine how it would feel to see the scene in real life from one of the boats. Some of the essential details that I wanted to capture was the bright sun rising, standing out from the cool tones of the surrounding sky and water. The fact that everything in the painting is soft and there aren’t harsh figures is another important detail I wanted to include. For that, I wrote about the sight of the boats and the slight outlines of figures on the distant shore. I thought the variety of pastel colors, depicting a sunrise, were also important details of the work. I tried to capture the calm, relaxed, and serene feeling that the painting gives off with my description. I replicated the original visual details in my poem by simply describing them, but from the perspective of someone on one of the boats. I believe my poem brings in a new interpretation of the painting because of the point of view I chose to write it in. With my poem, I wanted the audience to see the painting from within, rather than from the outside looking in.

Bill Viola’s Ascension stood out to me as the most interesting of the five video choices because of the slowed down focus of the event. The video shows an underwater, slow-motion clip of a man jumping into water. The frame is dark with blue lighting that highlights the bubbles and movement of water from the man jumping in. The initial plunge creates a loud crashing sound as his body hits the water. The man slowing falls deeper into the water, then slowly rises to the surface. The movement of water creates great detail, especially when displayed in slow motion. It seems as though every bubble can be seen. The clip makes it feel like the audience is genuinely underwater watching and listening. Viola was able to capture a very realistic sound of underwater with a muffled tone of the water flow.

The video creates a great representation of every single detail that occurs when something plunges into water. It causes the audience to focus in this specific event with its details ranging from the sound of the man hitting the surface to the bubbles and waves that are created once the body interferes with the water’s stillness to the muffled sound water movement underneath the surface. I believe the clip is trying to emphasize on the small details that we may not typically notice. The audience is set up to see one and only one subject. I think it wants the audience to focus strictly on this still slow-motion movement. Any hints toward certain issues or cultural stances do not seem to be represented in this video. I think this clip is urging viewers to start seeing things in a new way, in more detail. The use of lighting that strictly emphasizes the slow-motion view of the man’s body crashing into the water seems to reveal that. We don’t typically see someone jumping into water this way. It’s usually a fast event that we could miss with the blink of an eye. This clip allows the audience to see such a quick movement in slow motion. It breaks down every detail. The video appeals strongly to my sense of sight and my sense of hearing. Ascension is an interesting clip to watch because of the underwater and slow motion view. The darkness and use of specific lighting highlight the figure descending and ascending in the water. The realistic sounds of muffled water movement create an effect for me that allows me to focus in on this specific moment. I believe slowing this clip down also produces an impact that seems to almost hypnotize me into staying focused.

I think this clip is a lot different than typical commercial television. I can see why Ascension is considered video art. It does challenge our comfortable knowledge of TV and understanding of how to watch it because this clip is so different. I think it is especially different from the year it was produced, in 2000. Due to my age, I don’t remember how television was personally 20 years ago, as I was only two years old. However, Ascension is so serious, detailed, and focused compared to what I have seen recently from back then. I do think this concept and this type of video art is unique to that time.

Hamlet Act i, scene i

I chose to analyze the very first scene of Hamlet. I thought it was the most interesting scene because it introduces the story and kicks off the rest of the play. The scene begins outside of Elsinore castle where Bernardo comes to relieve Francisco from his guard duty. Bernardo asks if Francisco has had a quiet guard in which he gets a reply stating, “Not a mouse stirring,” or in other words, he didn’t hear anything. Bernardo says, “If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, / The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.” Bernardo means that if Francisco sees Horatio and Marcellus, who are supposed to stand with him, tell them to hurry. Horatio and Marcellus approach them as Francisco says good night and leaves.

Marcellus asks Bernardo if something has appeared on watch again, but Bernardo claims to have seen nothing. Marcellus and Bernardo urge Horatio to stand watch with them so he can witness the ghost they have seen for two nights. Horatio is doubtful saying, “Tush, tush, ’twill not appear.” Suddenly the ghost appears, resembling the deceased King Hamlet, “in the same figure, like the king that’s dead.” Marcellus pushes Horatio to speak to the ghost. He believes it gets offended and it vanishes.

Horatio can’t believe his eyes as he recognizes the similarities of the ghost and King Hamlet, he even notices it is wearing the same armor from combat in Norway. He suggests that the ghost might be a bad sign and begins to recall the story of the King’s battle with Fortinbras to conquer land. With Fortinbras dying in the battle, his son, also named Fortinbras, is now seeking to reclaim the land.

As Horatio continues, the ghost reappears. Horatio tries to speak to it, but the cock crows at dawn, and it disappears again. Bernardo claims the ghost was about to speak before the crow struck. Horatio wishes to tell young Hamlet of their sighting. He states, “This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.”

After reading the script, I searched Youtube for a staging of the scene. I found the one linked above. This recording of Act I, Scene I of Hamlet only shows the end of the scene after the rooster crows at dawn. Only two characters are speaking, Marcellus and Horatio. This staging of the scene was a bit different than I expected because I was expecting to see all three characters, Marcellus, Horatio, and Bernardo. I read the script along while watching this scene and noticed that there were some lines left out. I’m not sure if it was for a significant purpose, but it didn’t seem to take much away from the scene. I also noticed that instead of including Bernardo, some of his lines were just spoken by Marcellus’s character. I didn’t really get an interpretation of the character of Hamlet because his role wasn’t shown. The stage of the scene was kept simple and didn’t feature much scenery or props to indicate where the characters were. There was dark blue lighting to represent the nighttime setting. Although it wasn’t what I was expecting, this staging of Act I, Scene I was interesting to watch from a different interpretation than my own. I believe the cast of the show did a great job performing this scene of Hamlet.

What We Do in The Shadows (2014) is a documentary-style comedy horror film written, directed, and starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. It’s about four vampires aged 183-8000, Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and Petyr living together in a flat in New Zealand in the modern world.

Deacon has a human “servant,” Jackie, who does anything he says as long as he keeps his promise of giving her eternal life. Deacon requests for Jackie to bring victims over for a “dinner party.” Jackie finds two willing victims, Josephine and Nick, to join. As the dinner starts to become suspicious and strange, Nick tries to escape. Josephine gets bit and killed when he leaves. As soon as Nick makes it outside, he gets caught and bit by Petyr, turning him into a vampire. Nick then joins the vampires as a fifth roommate and must learn to adjust his new life as a vampire.

Nick brings along his human friend, Stu, who ends up bonding with the group and showing them modern technology. One day, Petyr gets killed from a vampire hunter breaking in after overhearing Nick revealing himself as a vampire on a night out. Deacon fights with Nick out of anger for causing the death of his friend, when suddenly police arrive after a report from neighbors. Viago hypnotizes them into seeing nothing out of the ordinary, so the cops go on their way.

Months later, The receive an invitation for a masquerade ball (undead parade) for other undead creatures like zombies, banshees, etc. Vladislav doesn’t want to attend because his arch nemesis, The Beast, is the guest of honor. Viago, Deacon, and Nick end up going, bringing Stu as a plus one. Jackie shows up too when she finally gets turned into a vampire by Nick after Deacon wouldn’t do it.

“The Beast” shows up, and her identity is revealed as Vladislav’s ex-girlfriend, Pauline. When Pauline discovers that Stu and the documentary film crew are humans, Vladislav arrives to stop the human from being killed. Vladislav gets in a fight with Pauline’s new boyfriend and almost gets defeated when Stu kills him with a wooden stake from behind. They all escape the ball but run into a group of werewolves transforming during a full moon. Stu and the camera crew get attacked. The vampires mourn Stu’s assumed death.

A month passes, and Nick returns to his roommates with Stu as a werewolf, along with the other werewolves. The two groups set aside their differences and end up getting along, drinking together. Viago finds his lost girlfriend of the past who is now 90 years old and turns her into a vampire. The two will now be able to live and be together forever, despite their age gap.

The film features a lot of shaky movement from being filmed handheld, emphasizing that it’s a “documentary,” and not a professional scripted serious film. The film went along at a moderate to quick pace. It was edited by cutting and skipping ahead months a time. There was a lot of darkness in every scene because the vampires can’t be in sunlight. I think the obviousness of the fake documentary and the small details that tied together the characteristics of old vampires truly made the film an enjoyable comedy. It was definitely a funny movie.

Moonlight (2016) is a drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins. The film’s plot goes through three different stages (i. Little, ii. Chiron, and iii. Black) of the life of Chiron, the main character. The film explores the obstacles of a young, black, gay male growing up in Miami and trying to find his identity and sexuality with his crack-addicted mother through the unexpected guidance of a drug dealer, Juan, and his girlfriend, Teresa.

The first part of the film, Little, shows Chiron as a young boy running away from bullies where he finds a crackhouse in a drug neighborhood to get away. A drug dealer, Juan, finds him hiding and takes him out to eat. He tries talking to Chiron, but he won’t budge. Juan brings Chiron to his home where his girlfriend, Teresa, finally gets Chiron to reveal his name. The next day, Juan brings Chiron home to his mother, Paula. She snatches Chiron away from Juan. Transitioning to the next day, a group of boys are shown playing in a field. Chiron and his friend, Kevin, leave the group. Kevin tells Chiron to show the other kids he’s tough so that he won’t get picked on anymore. Chiron continues to receive guidance from Juan. Juan takes Chiron to the beach and teaches him to swim. There, Juan shares his own childhood experiences and advises Chiron to carve his own path in life. One night, Juan finds Paula smoking crack. Juan criticizes her for smoking and neglecting Chiron, but she comes back at Juan for selling her the drugs. They argue, and Paula mentions the reason Chiron gets made fun of it that he’s gay. She returns home to Chiron that night and calls him a faggot. The next day, Chiron goes to Juan and Teresa’s house where he tells them how he hates Paula and then questions what the word “faggot” means. Juan explains that the word is used to make fun of people and assures Chiron that even if he is gay, he should never allow people to pick on him. Chiron asked Juan about selling drugs to Paula then leaves, Juan left ashamed.

The second part of the film, Chiron, skips to Chiron’s teenage years and shows his struggle dealing with the death of Juan, his mother addicted to drugs, finding his sexuality, and a high school bully, Terrel. Chiron must face his mother begging for money. One day, he smokes a blunt with Kevin on the beach. After sharing their life goals and laughing together, they end up kissing and performing sexual acts. The next day, Terrel manipulates Kevin into punching and knocking down Chiron where he then gets beaten further by Terrel and his friends. A social worker encourages Chiron to press charges, but Chiron refuses, stating it won’t solve anything. The next day, Chiron comes to class and smashes his chair over Terrel. He tries to beat him more, but is stopped by other students and the teacher. Chiron is escorted away by police in handcuffs.

The third and final part, Black, skips ahead to show Chiron as an adult. He is now living in Atlanta, making a living from selling drugs. He receives calls from Paula, begging him to visit her in rehab. One day, he gets a call from his old friend Kevin after not seeing each other in ten years. Kevin apologizes for what happened in school and tells him invites him to visit in back home in Miami where is now a cook. Chiron heads to Florida and stops to visit Paula on the way. Paula apologizes for her drug addiction throughout Chiron’s childhood and tells Chiron she loves him. Chiron makes it to Kevin’s diner in Miami where the two catch up. Kevin reveals he now has a son. Chiron explains his current situation selling drugs. After Chiron questions Kevin for calling, Kevin plays a song on the jukebox that reminds him of Chiron. Later that night, Kevin brings Chiron back to his apartment where he admits that his life didn’t turn out the way he thought it would, but he is still happy with his job and family. Chiron admits that he hasn’t had shared an intimate experience with anyone since the encounter between the two of them in high school. Kevin comforts Chiron. The movie ends with a flashback of young Chiron standing on the beach in the moonlight.

Moonlight has beautiful cinematography. The film features a variety of different shots, some in slow motion, paired with slow, dramatic music to emphasize the serious scenes through the movie. The film was moderately paced. It went through a large number of years in a pretty short time, but the events didn’t seem to go by too quickly.

One of the most memorable scenes for me was when Chiron had to face his high mother begging for money. The scene was very intense. It begins with Paula approaching Chiron outside, asking him where he has been, even though she told him to leave the night before. The scene jump cuts back and forth from point-of-view shots showing how Chiron sees Paula and how Paula sees Chiron. The camera is shaky and jump cuts from slow motion to regular pace, emphasizing the intense nature of the scene and allowing viewers to get a sense of the high that Paula is experiencing. The quick jump cuts add to the drama of the scene. The actor playing Paula’s character does a great job making the scene. She first lovingly approaches Chiron, calling him baby, and asking him to help her out. Once they move inside, she suddenly gets angry, starts screaming at Chiron, and rips at his pockets for money. The quick change in attitude helps to reveal that she is high. The lighting of the scene changes to match the effects. Outdoors, the lighting was sunny and bright to match Paula initial sweetness. In their house, when her mood switches, the lighting also changes and becomes dark and more dramatic. This scene really displays the difficulty that Chiron had to face dealing with a mother that is addicted to drugs.

(Images are personal screenshots from the film)

The Godfather featured many techniques that helped to achieve the movie’s artistic goals. I found the most obvious effects used in the film was dark lighting and dramatic sounds. Most of the film’s scenes were shot using only a small amount of light. The darkness and shadows helped to emphasize the tense feelings associated with the crime culture, violence, and the mafia. The Godfather also used intense music and sound along with the visual scenes to create tension and drama. The use of lighting, different shots, and sound did a great job setting the tone for each scene in this movie. The Godfather allowed me to feel the intensity of the dramatic scenes. I was even a little frightened by the realistic portrayal of the crime culture. The film made me grateful to have no relations to the mafia, any mobs, gangsters, or crime. The violence and culture of the mafia is definitely a scary thing.

La Jetée used fairly similar techniques to the Godfather to achieve its artistic goals. However, the movie was portrayed all in black and white and almost entirely in still images. La Jetée, like The Godfather, also used dark lighting in its images to add to the drama of the film. I think the lack of color actually helped to set the tone of the post-apocalyptic environment. The film also features dramatic, slow, orchestral music along with the sound of narration to create intensity and drama. Because the movie is in a different language, it is in black and white, and it’s almost all still images, it’s very different than anything I’ve seen before. La Jetée made me feel scared and eerie with its tone. I thought it was a very interesting viewing experience.

La Jetée used fairly similar techniques to the Godfather to achieve its artistic goals. However, the movie was portrayed all in black and white still images. La Jetée, like The Godfather, also used dark lighting in its images to add to the drama of the film. I think the lack of color actually helped to set the tone of the post-apocalyptic environment. Although the movie is entirely made of still images, there is some movement of zooming in and out. The film also features dramatic, slow, orchestral music along with the sound of narration to create intensity and drama. Because the movie is in a different language, it is in black and white, and it’s all still images, it’s very different than anything I’ve seen before. La Jetée made me feel scared and eerie with its tone. I thought it was a very interesting viewing .

After thinking of a unifying photo collection theme that could be realistically shot by me through my phone, I finally landed on the idea of capturing the central happiness of different dogs that are pets in loving homes. My goal was to illustrate the impact that a genuinely caring family can have on pets. I am an animal lover; animals are so important to me. I wish I could take in every stray dog and cat. I often see too many cases online of people that don’t care about their pets, abandon them, or just don’t give them the love they need. To me, I don’t view animals as very different from humans. I believe that they deserve care and love just as humans do. I think of my own pets as family. A lot of people even view their pets as their children. I don’t think enough people realize the impact they have on their pets. People have many aspects of their lives, such as school, work, family, etc., but as for pets, we’re all that they have. To us humans, our pets only take up a fraction of our lifetime, but to them, we’re their entire lives (especially since they have much shorter lifespans). For me, my dogs bring light into my life. I believe that caring for and loving pets is an important aspect of life that brings so much joy. For that reason, I decided to capture the joy of five different dogs for my photo collection.

Golden Girl

The first dog I decided to photograph is my yellow Labrador Retriever named Chloe. She is 12 years old. This photo shows her mouth open with a bright smile. Chloe receives many belly rubs and kisses from everyone around. She’s always happy to see people, especially her family, and appreciates getting loved on. I’ve had her since she was a puppy, so she’s never known a life without love. I believe treating her so well has created such a great life for her. Her happiness can be seen radiating in this photo.

Baby Bear

The second dog in this photo collection is also mine. He is a 10 year old chocolate Labrador Retriever named Diesel. I decided to title this photo “Baby Bear” because I think he looks just like a little brown bear. Diesel is also the baby of the family that gets spoiled by my mother. She’s the one who feeds him, takes him for walks, and sleeps with him. He recognizes that she puts the most effort in his care and as a result, he refuses to leave her side. That just represents the impact of having a strong bond with a pet. Although he is a dog, he knows who takes care of him the most. He jumps with joy because of the amount of love and attention he gets from my family, even though he may be spoiled.

Blue-eyed blue

The third dog that I captured is actually one of two sisters that belong to my friend. The first of the puppies is in this photo. She is the smaller sister named Blue, after her bright eyes. Blue is a five-month-old Weimaraner. She’s the most lovable little puppy I’ve ever met. Blue is so excited to interact with people and other dogs. She is always jumping up, trying to take the spotlight from her sister. All she wants is love and care, begging to be pet and kissed. This photo shows her looking up at me behind the camera, patiently waiting to be pet and loved when she’s done posing.

laughing Luna

The fourth dog is the second five-month-old Weimaraner puppy. She is nearly the identical twin of her sister, Blue. However, she’s a bit larger in size and has a small white patch on her chest shaped like a crescent moon. Because of her unique spot, she was named Luna. This photo shows her smiling. She even looks like she is laughing. Both she and her sister receive the most attention and care from their families, especially because they’re still babies. Their happiness from love they get really shows.

Prancing Pup

The final photo is of my best friend’s four-month-old miniature French bulldog. His name is Alfie. He is the only pet in his family, so he gets even more spoiled with belly rubs and kisses. Because he’s so small his owners take him almost everywhere with them, truly including him as a family member. This photo shows how excited Alfie was to run towards the camera, and more importantly, run to me for some affection.

It’s so important for our animals to be loved. We as humans have a huge impact on the lives of our pets. I believe my photo collection displays how genuine love, affection, and care can create pure happiness and joy for them. We are everything to them. I decided to photograph each of the dogs against grass to help unify and tie the photos together. I believe I achieved my goal in capturing the happiness within each dog.

The Ocean
By Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The Ocean has its silent caves,
Deep, quiet, and alone;
Though there be fury on the waves,
Beneath them there is none.

The awful spirits of the deep
Hold their communion there;
And there are those for whom we weep,
The young, the bright, the fair.


Calmly the wearied seamen rest
Beneath their own blue sea.
The ocean solitudes are blest,
For there is purity.

The earth has guilt, the earth has care,
Unquiet are its graves;
But peaceful sleep is ever there,
Beneath the dark blue waves.”

Nathanial Hawthorn begins with the first stanza of the poem, “The Ocean has its silent caves, / Deep, quiet, and alone.” He is describing the “silent caves” of the ocean, emphasizing the vast emptiness of its waters. “Though there be fury on the waves, / Beneath them there is none,” is comparing the rough, wild, and wavy appearance of the ocean from above shore to the reality of peace and calm underneath. “The awful spirits of the deep / Hold their communion there,” is referring to the deep sea being the resting place of spirits or those who have passed away. “And there are those for whom we weep, / The young, the bright, the fair,” mentions that the dead we mourn didn’t deserve to pass away. They were bright, smart, and young, taken too soon. “Calmly the wearied seamen rest / Beneath their own blue sea,” describes how the sailors that have passed away rest peacefully in the ocean because it is where they consider home. “The ocean solitudes are blest, / For there is purity,” refers to those who rest alone in the sea. They get to be alone and have a unique experience of an afterlife in the calm tranquility of the deep ocean (in purity). “The earth has guilt, the earth has care, / Unquiet are its graves,” compares death on earth to death at sea. Where the ocean is peaceful, the earth is busy. There are always people passing away. We lay them to rest in graves full of others that are deceased. “But peaceful sleep is ever there, / Beneath the dark blue waves,” emphasizes the serene space and vastness of the deep sea. Those who pass on earth don’t get to rest as peacefully as in the depths of the empty ocean.

The theme of this poem is the tranquility of the deep sea.
Hawthorn capitalizes “Ocean” in the first line, giving the word much significance in reference to the rest of the poem. Hawthorn uses a lot of descriptive language to paint the central image of the deep ocean. He mentions its “silent caves” and describes it as “deep, quiet, and alone” in lines 1 and 2 to emphasize the vastness. He calls it the “blue sea” (line 10) and mentions its “dark blue waves” (line 16). In line 3, “Though there be fury on the waves, / Beneath them is none,” creates a distinct image of the rough waves above the ocean’s surface. In line 11, “The ocean solitudes are blest, / For there is purity,” portrays the pure peace of the deep resting place. Hawthorn uses “peaceful sleep” in line 15 as a metaphor for death. Hawthorn also uses assonance continuously throughout the poem. At the end of every other line, there are repeating vowel sounds that rhyme. For example, lines 1 and 3 end with “caves” and “waves”, and lines 2 and 4 end in “alone” and “none.”

The musical theme I’ve decided to create a playlist around is world peace. All of the songs I’ve included below promote peace and equality for everyone or discuss how we must work together to make this world a better place. This theme has relevance to me because peace amongst all is something I strongly believe in and wish this world could achieve someday. I chose this theme because I believe spreading the message of peace is extremely important. I think each one of these songs are very inspiring and present great examples for why we must unite together for more love and less hate.

The lyrics of “Imagine” by John Lennon encourage the listener to envision a world of peace and unity, with no heaven or hell, no countries, no religion, no reason to kill or die, no possessions, no greed or hunger. Lennon wants to create an image of a world with no barriers/borders that separate people or make them fight. He wants us to picture the world coming together as one. He ends each verse with words like, “Imagine all the people living life in peace,” or, “Imagine all the people sharing all the world.” He finally closes the song out with, “You may say I’m a dreamer / But I’m not the only one / I hope someday you’ll join us / And the world will live as one.” This song inspires listeners to share the world and come together in peace.

The music behind the inspiring lyrics of “Imagine” is composed of, what sounds like, just piano, drums, and violin. The lyrics and piano chords could be considered the main components of the melody, where the drum beats and violin are the harmonies behind working with them. This song has a fairly slow (lento/largo) and consistent tempo. I believe it has a degree of consonance because the tones together are soft, easeful, and pleasing. Because of the slow tempo, simple melody, and inspiring lyrics “Imagine” invokes a calm and tranquil emotion. Although it is in the rock genre, I think it would be better considered as soft rock because of the serene effect it gives off. I think the style of this piece of music helps to emphasize the heartening and serious message behind it.

Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” focuses on the wrong and hate that is occurring in the world today and how we must reverse it with the power of love, not war. Gaye sings, “Mother, mother / There’s too many of you crying / Brother, brother, brother / There’s far too many of you dying.” He stresses the struggle and sadness that mothers must face when losing a child in war. Gaye preaches that there is too much murder, hate, pain, and loss in the world. “You see war is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate,” Gaye emphasizes the importance and power of coming together in peace and loving each other to overcome the hate.

“What’s Going On” features many different instruments including the saxophone, bass, piano, keyboard, and drums. The song has a moderate tempo, not slow, but not extremely fast. It is consonant because the tones work together in a pleasing way. The main elements of the melody would be the moving lyrics and the strong bass strums and drums. The keyboard and saxophone compliment the other sounds in the background, creating a beautiful harmony of instruments together. This piece invokes a soothing mood. The smooth rhythm of sound makes you want to sway along to the music. This song falls under the category of rhythm and blues, so the effect it has fits with the classic “feel good” vibes of that genre.

“We Shall Be Free” by Garth Brooks spreads the message that we, as humanity, will be free once we have reached peace among the world. In the lyrics, Brooks mentions that we shall be free when the starving are no longer hungry, when the poorest of people have shelter, when we stop judging people based off the color of their skin, and when the air and oceans are clear of pollution. This song is spreading the ultimate message of peace in the world. Brooks includes that people are allowed to love whomever they choose. We need to be open and accepting of all different views. It’s important to welcome everyone and treat people equally. Brooks states in the last verse, “When there’s only one race and that’s mankind / Then we shall be free.” I believe this song’s message is one of the most valuable to everyone. To achieve peace in the world, we have to accept and love each other.

“We Shall Be Free”’s instrumentation includes a variety of instruments like guitar, bass, piano, tambourine, and drums. Brooks’ voice stands out as the main melody of the piece. There are beautiful background singers that harmonize with him throughout the song. This song has a fairly quick tempo. It’s more upbeat compared to the other songs featured in this playlist. The tones in this song work well together and create a very pleasing sound, resulting in a high degree of consonance. The fast pace and use of instruments, like the tambourine, invoke an uplifting emotion in listeners.

The lyrics of “Changes” by Tupac Shakur spread a message about the need for justice, equality, and peace in this world, especially for the black race. Tupac says, “I see no changes,” referring to the current presence of racism in the United States even after the Civil Rights Movement. The chorus repeats, “That’s just the way it is / Things’ll never be the same.” Throughout the song’s verses, Tupac highlights different challenges that African-Americans face that should no longer occur. Towards the end of the song he says, “We gotta make a change / It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes / Let’s change the way we eat / Let’s change the way we live / And let’s change the way we treat each other.” Tupac stresses the importance of treating everyone equally, but to reach peace among all, we must work together.

“Changes” is a representation of the hip-hop genre with its instrumentation consisting of beats made by the piano, keyboard, and drums. The piano notes are widely recognized amongst many as well as the chorus, so they could be considered the melody. “Changes” has a quick tempo. The lyrics and music are relatively fast-paced. The tones working together result in a pleasing sound, giving this song consonance. Although this song has a smooth rhythm and lyrics that flow, the quick pace and strong, firm tone of Tupac’s voice give off a serious emotion. It poses many harsh, but real situations that emphasize the need for equality and peace for this world. I believe the emotion of this piece is effective for its intended message.

In “One Day,” Matisyahu expresses his hope that one day there will be no hate or violence and we will live in a world of peace and love. In the chorus, he says, “All my life I’ve been waiting for / I’ve been praying for / For the people to say / That we don’t wanna fight no more / There will be no more wars / And our children will play.” He then repeats, “One day, one day, one day.” Matisyahu hopes that one day negativity will be eliminated and there will be no violence, no war, and no hate. He sings, “One day this all will change / Treat people the same / Stop the violence / Down with the hate // One day we’ll all be free / And proud to be / Under the same sun / Singing songs of freedom like…” He then repeats the chorus. Matisyahu hopes that in the future things will change and we will all live together in harmony and peace.

“One Day” is an inspiring song that falls under a few different genres. The instrumentation is composed of guitar, keyboard, violin, and drums. Matisyahu’s strong vocals are recognized as the melody of the piece. The tempo is moderate and consistent. This song has a high degree of consonance because of the pleasing way the different tones flow together. The medium tempo and inspiration lyrics create a relaxing vibe. However, the passion that is felt through Matisyahu’s voice and words is very moving and inspirational.

“Where is the Love?” by the Black Eyed Peas questions what is wrong with this world. It questions where is the peace and where is the love? Many issues that we face as a society are discussed including hypocrisy, terrorism, discrimination, racism, war, pollution, crime, etc. The song mentions, “Whatever happened to the values of humanity? / Whatever happened to the fairness and equality? Instead of spreadin’ love we spreadin’ animosity / Lack of understandin’ leading us away from unity.” This song discusses how we, as humanity, are steering in the wrong direction. Instead of spreading positivity and love, we spread bad values and negativity. The pre-chorus sings, “People killin’, people dyin’ / Children hurt and you hear them cryin’ / Will you practice what you preach? / Or would you turn the other cheek? / Father, Father, Father help us / Send some guidance from above / These people got me, got me questionin’” Then the chorus repeats, “Where is the love?” This makes us question ourselves. We ask “Where is the love?” because love in this world can’t be found, it’s missing. We must join together to stop the numerous issues we face from happening and to bring love and peace to all.

“Where is the Love?” is a smooth sounding song with powerful lyrics. It features instruments such as the guitar, bass, drums, and violin. The bass chords can be easily recognized as the melody of this song. It has a slower tempo compared to other songs by the Black Eyed Peas. The music is relatively slow while the lyrics remain at a moderate pace. The softer, slower music in the background helps to emphasize the powerful lyrics. The tones of the music and vocals come together to create a pleasing and smooth sound, making the song consonant. Behind the main vocals are background vocals that create a constant harmony. The slow music and powerful lyrics invoke an inspired emotion. Although the song presents a serious message, the music gives a more light-hearted effect.

The piece of domestic architecture that I am most familiar with is my home. I’ve lived in this space since the day I was born. Every day I leave to go about my daily routine and every day I return when I’ve completed my tasks. It might be difficult for me to be unbiased when discussing how I feel about this space because it is the place I’ve called home for forever (so far).

The interior of my house is relatively small compared to most homes. The living room comes first upon entrance. It flows directly into the dining room and kitchen with no walls separating the different “rooms.” The only thing that seems to divide the distinct spaces is a slight difference in flooring materials and furniture function. For example, it’s obvious where the kitchen is because there is tile floor instead of hardwood, and it’s obvious where the living room is compared to the dining room because there are couches, a coffee table, and a television, rather than a dining table and chairs. On one side of the main open space is the master bedroom and bathroom and on the other side is two smaller bedrooms with another bathroom. All of the different bedrooms and bathrooms are divided by walls, each having their own door to enter. The house is surrounded by many windows and a large glass door in the back.

I believe the way my house is divided helps to make the small space feel larger and more open. The windows also create a bigger illusion because of the natural light that comes through. I think it does serve its function as a domestic space because of the open design that creates a suitable environment for families to spend time together. It seems like wherever you are in the main area, whether it be the kitchen or the living room, you are still together because it’s all conjoined. I think the openness of the space makes it feel homey, welcoming, and bright. If a stranger were to enter for the first time, they might have a different opinion because there is still not a large amount of square footage. Although it is open, I feel like it still has a sense of privacy with the bedrooms being separate. In my opinion, that is the ideal concept for a home. I like having my visitors feel welcome, but I enjoy having my bedroom kept personal and private. The space doesn’t feel run down. It is a pretty ordinarily designed house, so it’s not very unique. The interior colors are all neutral. The walls are simple shades of white, beige, and gray. The floors, whether hardwood or tile, are different tones of brown. There are no unique textures, just plain walls, plain floors, and a plain ceiling. In my opinion, I prefer a domestic space to be more basic and not too over the top. If my house was very colorful or extravagant, to me, it wouldn’t feel like home.

One of my favorites places to go in my free time, especially as a college student, is Starbucks. I like to study, write, or read there because I prefer the background noise of a busy environment. Starbucks serves the function of a coffee shop. The interior of my local Starbucks is similar to my domestic space because it is also an openly designed concept. As soon as you enter, you can see every part of the store. It could be considered even more open than my house because it is a larger size. It isn’t divided at all. The only part of the space that is separated by other walls are the bathrooms. Even the kitchen area is open, however still inaccessible to the public because of the counters blocking passage. I believe that my local Starbucks serves it’s function well. I don’t think that a coffee shop should have a closed or complicated layout. I feel like an open concept is certainly more inviting and welcoming to new customers. It doesn’t feel cramped or uncomfortable at all because it is basically one big room. Although it is open like my house, it is different because it doesn’t have as many windows. It only has two on the storefront that don’t allow as much natural light through the building. The lack of sun actually gives the space a more cozy and intimate feel. The Starbucks interior is not a unique space at all. It has an extremely basic shape and structure. It is similar to my house because of the neutral shades throughout the area. However, Starbucks uses a darker color palette. The darker colors add to the intimate effect of the space.

I don’t necessarily prefer one space over the other because I have found so many similarities between the two. I like how both of them have basic structures with an open feeling. Although Starbucks isn’t as bright as my house, I still think it is a welcoming environment. I enjoy the simple spaces of both.

(The images show the open concept and simple interior structure of the Starbucks shop.)